NFL combine: Pead's draft stock rises

INDIANAPOLIS - Isaiah Pead came out of Eastmoor High School unwanted by the college he coveted.

Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch

INDIANAPOLIS — Isaiah Pead came out of Eastmoor High School unwanted by the college he coveted.

He finished a productive University of Cincinnati career needing to dispel reservations about his NFL prospects.

It’s safe to say that few players have done more to improve their draft status in the past several weeks than Pead.

Pead was Most Valuable Player at the Senior Bowl last month on the strength of two long punt returns. Yesterday, his hot streak continued when he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds at the NFL combine, tied for fifth among 28 running backs.

“I think he’s a really good prospect,” Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. “I haven’t watched tape of him yet. It’s only TV scouting. (But) I think he showed a different dimension with the punt returning he did at Senior Bowl, and I think that will do nothing but elevate his stock."

Pead didn’t return punts until late in his Bearcats career.

“I guess coach (Butch Jones) didn’t want to risk injuries with me being a starter,” Pead said. “ Finally, he threw me back there the last couple games and it turned out well.

“I like punt returns just as much as I like being a running back. It’s another chance to get the ball in your hands.”

Pead said his grandfather is close friends with fellow Eastmoor grad Archie Griffin, and Pead wanted to play for Ohio State. But the Buckeyes didn’t offer a scholarship.

“Of course, growing up a Columbus kid, it’s only right to be a Buckeye fan,” Pead said. “But things didn’t work out. I went down to Cincinnati and had the time of my life. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Three-time (Big East) champion out of four years. Great teammates and coaches. Great fan base, great administrative staff. It was everything I could ask for.”

He said the snub from Ohio State drove him.

“It kind of discouraged me, but my journey wasn’t going to stop there,” Pead said. “My main focus was to get into a school without my mom having to pay for it.”

Now projected as a possible second-round pick, Pead figures to be able to earn big bucks soon. At 197 pounds, Pead might be pegged as a kick returner and third-down back. But he has shown it’s not wise to sell him short.

“I feel like I’m an every-down guy,” he said. “Of course, I’m going to come into camp and work for that and be whatever my team needs me to be.”

Mixed results for Buckeyes

Wide receivers and running backs ran 40-yard dashes, and results were mixed for Ohio State players.

Receiver DeVier Posey’s official time was 4.50 seconds after unofficial results had him at a blistering 4.37. Still, raw speed was one of the big questions about Posey, and his official time is more than respectable.

The news wasn’t as good for running back Daniel Herron. His official time was 4.66. Herron said on Friday that he hoped to run in the 4.4s.

Herron did better in agility drills. He had the second-fastest time among running backs in the 20-yard shuttle test (4.04 seconds). He did fifth-best among running backs in the 60-yard shuttle and sixth in the three-cone drill. His 22 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press were sixth-best among backs.

Center Michael Brewster had 29 reps in the bench press. He placed sixth among all offensive linemen in the 20-yard shuttle.

It was a disappointing weekend for offensive tackle Mike Adams, whose hopes of being a first-round pick took a hit when he managed only 19 reps in the bench press.